Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Matching bracelet and earrings...with help from the wire jig

I used yet another design that came with the wire jig to
make a bracelet and matching earrings.

I started out trying to make a cuff bracelet for my sister.
She liked the first wire jig cuff I made and asked if I could make one a little
thinner. Honestly, that’s what I set out to do but I guess I didn’t know my own
strength when it came time to pull the two lengths of wire apart. Or maybe I’ve
made so many of the wire-wrapped cuff bracelets that I go into auto-pilot mode
now when I make them.

Anyway, this latest wire jig design reminded me of an animal
paw print. Can you see it?

This type of wire cuff can be a little more complicated to
make. I can’t just take thin craft wire and weave it onto the frame with beads
like I do with the other cuffs. The jig designs require a number of smaller
wraps and cuts to fill in small open spaces.

I decided to go ahead and make some matching earrings. I’m
not sure I can call this set my favorite I’ve ever made, but it certainly has
inspired me to continue on and fine-tune my skills.